A rash of burglaries in Waggaman has residents on edge as the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office investigates the incidents, including one woman's home hit twice in a week. The reports began May 14 and span seven days, covering five incidents within blocks of each other, according to incident reports. Although authorities have not identifed any suspects, they do have leads. In some cases, thieves shattered windows or pried open doors to gain entry.

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The most recent incident was reported Sunday on Dolores Drive. A woman returned home from a trip and found a crawlspace above her carport open. Someone used the crawlspace to access her home through the ceiling. But the woman had just moved into the house and did not have any valuables there, the report said. A back door was unlocked.

On May 19, a man reported that his gun locker containing a Glock handgun and rifle had been burglarized. In that incident, in the 40 block of Cynthia Street, thieves gained access by shattering a bedroom window. The victim in that incident suspects his own son could have been involved.

The third incident occurred May 18 in the first block of Helis Street. A 31-year-old woman reported that she was sleeping in her home around 2:15 p.m. when she heard a noise near a rear bedroom window. When she went to check, she saw a man standing in her back yard who had removed the screen from her window, according to an incident report. The man fled as soon as he saw the victim, vaulting her rear fence and running along a nearby canal bank.

On May 17, a house in the 100 block of Morning Glory Lane was burglarized for the second time this month. A woman told police that when she came home from work, a back door was open, and some electronics were missing. Authorities said it appeared her front door had been forced open and the thieves fled through the back.

However, the front door was open despite a boardthe woman placed across it because of a theft on May 10, the report said.

Neighbors told authorities a strange man was knocking on doors asking about performing yard work despite not having any yard equipment. Using a home surveillance camera,police were able to get a picture of that man, along with a photograph of the car he may have used to flee the area. That man was seen near the victim's home shortly before the incident.

The first incident occurred May 14 in the 30 block of Cynthia Street. A teenager came home from school to find a back window shattered, and electronic equipment missing.

Anyone with any information should call the Sheriff's Office at 504.364.5300 or Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111.

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Allen Powell II can be reached at apowell@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3793.